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Bicycle Friendly Business program celebrates 10th anniversary

Bicycle Friendly Business

by League Staff

Today, as part of National Bike Month, the League of American Bicyclists welcomes 114 new and renewing businesses from 30 states and Washington, DC, to its Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) program. Since 2008, over 1,500 businesses have earned the title; currently there are 1,199 businesses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that hold a BFB designation.

“As we celebrate the tenth year of the Bicycle Friendly Business program, the League of American Bicyclists is proud to recognize our latest Bicycle Friendly Businesses,” said Amelia Neptune, Director of the Bicycle Friendly America program. “We applaud these workplaces for leading the charge in creating a more bicycle-friendly America for everyone.”

A number of companies with international reach have received awards this round, including Facebook’s Seattle office and the Eagan, MN, campus of Thomson Reuters, both new Gold BFBs. Moving up to Gold BFB status are Lexmark International in Lexington, KY, and 3M Company’s corporate headquarters in St. Paul, MN. Target’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis has renewed its Platinum BFB status, first earned in 2014.

Facebook Seattle's 2016 Bike to Lunch Ride

One strong sign of a business’s commitment to bicycling is when they apply for BFB status for some (or all!) of their locations to reach more employees. This round, three locations of Century Cycles, all in Ohio, renewed their Gold BFB status. Also coming in at Gold are seven locations of Race Pace Bicycles, all in Maryland. Two office locations of Alta Planning + Design received BFB awards this round, joining 11 other offices in nine different states that have earned BFB awards over the last several years, ranging from Bronze to Platinum. As a new Gold BFB, Facebook’s Seattle office joins their Menlo Park campus, which has been a BFB since 2012, and currently holds the Platinum status.

One of the tenets of a Bicycle Friendly Business is identifying barriers to biking and offering practical solutions for commuters. For many businesses, this includes providing education, encouragement and resources needed to help new riders feel more comfortable and confident. Lexmark International encourages their employees to participate in National Bike Month celebrations, including a Bike to Work Lunch and Learn they are hosting later this month. “Our goal is to encourage employees and their families to try bicycling on the bike paths in our city as well as expanding the knowledge of our better bicyclists on their routes to and from work,” says Susan Butler, Lexmark’s Corporate Social Responsibility Analyst. To help more 3M employees start bicycling, 3M Company “hosted a bike buying seminar where employees brought seven types of bikes to show the audience different options when buying a bike. Presenters discussed appropriate uses for each bicycle type and why they own that type of bike.”

For many businesses, breaking down barriers for commuters includes offering secure bike parking and end-of-trip facilities like showers and lockers for bicyclists. It can also include dealing with geographical barriers like Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) has. OHSU, in Portland, OR, moved up to Platinum status this round. OHSU’s campus is “located on the highest hill in Portland, so bikes are welcome on our aerial tram. Employees, students, patients and OHSU families ride free. Bike valet is also offered free to the public at the tram. The success of the valet at the bottom of the hill means we also need to find ways to encourage riders to ride uphill. We're looking at additional incentives, e-bikes and street redesign to make the hill as bike accessible as possible.”

Essential to the Bicycle Friendly America program is sharing lessons from businesses, communities, states and universities to help elected officials and community decision makers improve how they serve existing and potential cyclists. Wasatch Front Regional Council (WRFC) in Salt Lake City, UT, advanced to Silver BFB status this round, in part because they — along with statewide partners — offer “Mobile Active Transportation Tours to teach local elected officials about bike infrastructure by experiencing it first hand. These tours are aimed at local elected officials and staff in order to broaden their understanding of existing active transportation infrastructure as well as needs and problem areas within communities.”

Several communities showed strong pushes to engage new businesses through the Bicycle Friendly Business program this round, including Baltimore, MD, which gained 6 new BFBs, Iowa City, IA, which gained 4, and St. Petersburg, FL, which gained 11 new BFBs this Spring. Two states are getting their first Platinum BFBs. In Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh’s BikePGH has moved up from Gold, and in Columbus, GA, Ride on Bikes is debuting at Platinum BFB status.

Today, the League’s network of nearly 1,200 current Bicycle Friendly Businesses from around the country each support bicycling in their workplace and their community and play an essential role in the movement to create a more bicycle-friendly America for everyone. Congratulations to all 114 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses being recognized this round!

To apply for bicycle-friendly recognition for your business, or to learn more about the BFB program, visit bikeleague.org/business.

The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.